Karen’s Summer Travels. Two Fine Trips. One Fail.

By Karen

What a summer for travel.

We had plans to go to the Aspen Ideas Festival, in early July; then to Seattle, to relocate one grown child; then to London, for my husband’s work, with the other grown child. And a couple more trips are coming up.

Aspen Was Not To Be.

Aspen was a no-go. Our flight from Newark to Denver was canceled; the flight the next day was canceled—after we spent hours and hours and hours imprisoned in the plane—and by then it was too late to get to the Festival. (BTW, while we sat on the plane, the CEO of our airline, who also apparently had to get to Denver from Newark, took a private plane. Hmmm. It would have been a nice gesture to let some of us come with him.)

After canceling all of our flights, the airline nevertheless sent our bags to Aspen. Go figure. It took two weeks to recover the well-traveled bags, since the airline could not find them until we called the Aspen airport ourselves and were able to speak to an actual person. Then—endless lines at Newark. Lots of camaraderie, of course, among all the disgruntled passengers, all of us whining about waiting for hours on hold and then being disconnected just as a human picked up. Talk about a bonding experience. My knees gave out after standing for four hours, so I did some squats and lunges. Some of my new friends joined in!

What’s the moral of the story? Never, ever, ever, check luggage, even if you have been invited to a coronation and have to attend several balls. Just plan to wear the same gown to each event. (No, we weren’t invited to anything of the sort but it’s good to have a plan. ‘Cause you can’t check your luggage!)

Seattle. Delightful.

Seattle is gorgeous, and, surprisingly to me, summer weather is gorgeous as well. No rain! Seattle’s downtown is suffering from the post-covid blues, like many cities, but there are lots of fun neighborhoods to discover.

We stayed at the Inn at the Market, with a fine view over the harbor, and wandered the market early, before the massive crowds arrived. We might stay someplace a little farther from the madding crowds next time.

We were there to find an apartment near the University of Washington, which bears the unlovely moniker U Dub. Go Huskies! U Dub is spectacular. I have never seen a more beautiful campus. And there are lots of splendid neighborhoods nearby, with marvelous local restaurants and shops. Get delectable sandwiches at Saint Bread, on the water. Joule, Korean influenced, is delicious, as is Vietnamese Monsoon in Capitol Hill. Matt’s in the Market, named for its location, is surprisingly good and very atmospheric. We had some lovely Laughing Pig Rose there.

A colossal high point was the Chihuly Garden and Glass, right under the colossal Space Needle. I love glass, and expected the museum to be wonderful (and it is) but the garden! Oh my! The photo above is a small taste. Simply enchanting. (We did not make it to Chihuly’s studio, which is apparently also wonderful. Next time.) The Seattle Art Museum has a shop that showcases local creators. And we found some cool clothing stores. Jack Straw has unusual clothes for women and men, and its proprietor is a lovely gentleman with lots to say about Seattle. Innovative print dresses can be found at Alhambra. And Atelier New York has gorgeous high end selections. (Yes, it started in Brooklyn!)

Water is everywhere. We took the Bainbridge Ferry out and back over Elliott Bay. Glorious.

London. Crowded.

Right after Seattle, we headed to London. From Newark. Scary. But all went well. 

We stayed at the The Soho Hotel, a quiet and stylish oasis in a madhouse neighborhood. We had never seen London so crowded. We weaved through the crowds, as we always do, walking at least 10 miles a day. No better way to see it all.

A high point was the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy, always a fun event, and one that has run without interruption since 1769. We saw lots of other art, as well as a great farmer’s market, and a really fun play. Dear England is about a football player who missed a World Cup penalty shot and then coached the national team for another World Cup. We loved the balletic approach to portraying a soccer game, on stage, with an imaginary ball. And of course the missed shots resonated with us after seeing the travails of our own women’s team.

We also discovered a whole new neighborhood. You’ve probably heard about the Battersea Power Station, a vast brick building on the Thames that has been turned into stylish shops and restaurants. We had no idea that it had spawned a new city of attractive residential buildings, many also on the river. Its park is large and lovely. Well worth a visit. 

Of course we ate well.  London’s imperial past allows it to host many fine Indian restaurants. Gymkhana is one of the best. There are millions of other food options as well. Al Hamra, for middle eastern delights, is an old favorite, and Clarke’s, the long time restaurant of Sally Clarke, an Alice Waters protege, is an elegant joy. Ms. Clarke was there herself to serve and to autograph her fine cookbook.  

Did you have an agreeable—or not so agreeable—summer trip? Tell us all about it!